Islands and Continents

There have been strong indications recently that the region for the eighth-generation Pokémon games - which will be on the Switch and likely be due later this year - will be set in an insular region based on the UK. With the regions for the main series games in the world of Pokémon being based on real locations, it would be natural to consider that there would be regions based on continents and islands. Yet perhaps this characteristic could be mulled over a bit more, especially regarding what they mean for the present and the future.

At present, there are four "continental" regions (Kanto, Johto, Unova, and Kalos) and three "insular" regions (Hoenn, Sinnoh, and Alola). The upcoming UK-like region is insular, which means it would even out the "insular" regions with the "continental" regions again. I say "again" because it would do what Sinnoh did four generations ago in making even Hoenn with Kanto and Johto: two "continental", two "insular". Whether or not this may continue in the future is not for me to say and could be considered jumping the gun a bit, but this could conceivably continue somehow. Of course, this may also be considered coincidental and that the meaning isn't much.

Even if they were to become unbalanced again, at least having both continental and insular regions is still natural, especially considering the current real world from which the regions were based. It's hard to imagine that things in the games keep happening on insular regions all the time, unless we're living in a water world and only islands are present. Likewise, we aren't living on the Pangaea of millions of years ago that may be rare in terms of large islands, so it just doesn't jive. And though either of these scenarios may happen in the very far future, for now we're safe - we'll still have continents and islands, and the world of Pokémon will still have them too.

That seems satisfactory enough: main series regions in the Pokémon games embody the spirit of "natural" and "current". They're parts of the world we know, just presented slightly differently, but more or less as we know them geographically today. And that's even before the creatures are factored in. That should give fans something to hope as more information about the new games with the UK-based region come to light soon, as well as things to expect in the later future of Pokémon based on the here and now.

One year ago: Passing the Guard
Two years ago: Two Pokémon Pillows